diff --git a/src/platforms/posix/drivers/accelsim/accelsim.cpp b/src/platforms/posix/drivers/accelsim/accelsim.cpp
index e039e6b65c..141751fc03 100644
--- a/src/platforms/posix/drivers/accelsim/accelsim.cpp
+++ b/src/platforms/posix/drivers/accelsim/accelsim.cpp
@@ -1110,13 +1110,13 @@ start(enum Rotation rotation)
 	DevMgr::getHandle(ACCELSIM_DEVICE_PATH_MAG, h_mag);
 
 	/* don't fail if mag dev cannot be opened */
-	if (!h_mag.isValid()) {
-		if (h.ioctl(SENSORIOCSPOLLRATE, (void *)SENSOR_POLLRATE_DEFAULT) < 0) {
-			PX4_ERR("ioctl SENSORIOCSPOLLRATE %s failed", ACCELSIM_DEVICE_PATH_ACCEL);
+	if (h_mag.isValid()) {
+		if (h_mag.ioctl(SENSORIOCSPOLLRATE, (void *)SENSOR_POLLRATE_DEFAULT) < 0) {
+			PX4_ERR("ioctl SENSORIOCSPOLLRATE %s failed", ACCELSIM_DEVICE_PATH_MAG);
 		}
 
 	} else {
-		PX4_ERR("ioctl SENSORIOCSPOLLRATE %s failed", ACCELSIM_DEVICE_PATH_ACCEL);
+		PX4_ERR("ioctl SENSORIOCSPOLLRATE %s failed", ACCELSIM_DEVICE_PATH_MAG);
 	}
 
 	DevMgr::releaseHandle(h);
diff --git a/src/platforms/posix/drivers/gyrosim/gyrosim.cpp b/src/platforms/posix/drivers/gyrosim/gyrosim.cpp
index 8901d2bf63..3f3046f3d4 100644
--- a/src/platforms/posix/drivers/gyrosim/gyrosim.cpp
+++ b/src/platforms/posix/drivers/gyrosim/gyrosim.cpp
@@ -1169,7 +1169,8 @@ GYROSIM_gyro::GYROSIM_gyro(GYROSIM *parent, const char *path) :
 int
 GYROSIM_gyro::init()
 {
-	return start();
+	int ret = VirtDevObj::init();
+	return ret ? ret : start();
 }
 
 void